Comfort Overflowing

     If you listen to the news at all, it doesn’t take but a few seconds to be faced with a world in trouble.  There are problems on every side.  Most of us sense the weight of daily pressures and can become discouraged, even hopeless at times.  Twice in the last few days I have been reminded of a great word of our faith…the word hope.  It is just a small word, four letters, but it is a word with life in it.

     This morning I was reading my Bible when another verse of scripture just seemed to stand up and shout, “Hey listen to me, don’t just read right through this.  Stop here, and let’s think on this a while.”  As I lingered, meditating, digesting…my spirit was filled with words of encouragement and hope.  I’ll share them in hopes they will do the same for you. 

     I heard the words drawing my attention toward a cycle of overflowing comfort.  The source comes straight from the heart of God, once again moved by compassion.  Take time to remember that God has compassion in his heart for you.  In this reading, that compassion flowed out with comfort.  Could you use a little comfort in your day today?  Hear this word from the Word: 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

God of all comfort>Moved by compassion>Comforts us>SO we can comfort others

     I wrote in the margin of my Bible, “The Cycle of Overflowing Comfort.”  It was added blessing to think that this comfort is directed toward “all our troubles” not just some.  The comfort we receive then goes toward “any trouble” others around us may be experiencing.  It begins with God, and we need to receive comfort from God, but it should not stop there…we must also share comfort into the lives of others. 

     Now, don’t forget another important part of this formula.  The first word of this verse is an important one; don’t forget to praise God for the blessing.  You are blessed when your receive, but twice blessed when you pass it on.  Praise be to God!  Be comforted, and find someone today in need of being comforted to complete the cycle of overflowing comfort.